Area golfers at two Beaufort County clubs are gearing up for the third annual Let’s Tee it Up For a Cure golf tournament, the biggest annual fundraiser to benefit the Marion L. Shepard Cancer Center.

The shotgun tournament is set for Sept. 12 at 9 a.m. at Cypress Landing in Chocowinity and Washington Yacht and Country Club, which will host 56 teams of four golfers between the two clubs. Cypress Landing has filled its registry for the tournament, but there are still eight spots at WYCC, according to Peg Bodie, golf pro at WYCC. A light breakfast will be provided to participants at 8 a.m., and after the tournament, lunch will be provided, as well.

Participants of the WYCC golf tournament can also expect to go home with some form of prize, according to Paul Klein, co-chair of WYCC’s tournament. Prizes like free rounds of golf at courses across North Carolina, as well as in South Carolina and Florida, will be given out to participants of the tournament. Other prizes include golf balls, umbrellas and other items.

The clubs are also hosting a silent auction. Items up for auction include a gas grill from Lowe’s Home Improvements, two Igloo coolers from West Marine of Washington and a metal dog crate from Tractor Supply, to name a few. Anyone can visit either club to make a bid, Klein said.

And though the golf tournament is the premier component of the annual fundraiser to benefit the cancer center, there are other ways to get involved and contribute to the overall cause — honoring or remembering a family member or friend through honor boards at each club, for example.

According to Rob Cameron, chairman for the WYCC honor board, community residents can purchase a spot on the club’s honor board for $15. The deadline for purchasing a spot on honor boards at each club is Thursday afternoon.

Not only can a friend or family be honored or remembered for losing their lives to cancer or being a cancer survivor, but they can also be honored for birthdays, anniversaries and other occasions, Cameron said.

“Whatever you want to honor them for,” Cameron said. “We’d be happy to let them be displayed.”

“It’s kind of an inexpensive way of being involved,” Bodie added.

Another way to get involved is through purchasing a hole sponsorship, as many local businesses and organizations have done. Klein has devoted much of his energy and time to the sale of hole sponsorships, which range from $100 to $2,500. The sponsorships provide additional funds to benefit patients, survivors and caregivers at the cancer center, Klein said.

“We kind of work at it and make a lot of phone calls,” Klein said. “Many families have some connection to some form of cancer, directly or indirectly. I think that’s probably how many of us got involved with this — through a direct connection with cancer.”

Several communities have also stepped up to make this year’s overall initiative a success. Groups from various communities in Beaufort County have hosted bow-making parties, gatherings that involve the creation of purple bows, which are sold to residents, and pink and purple bows, which are sold to businesses.

So far, the sale of bows for the initiative has yielded around $26,000, which was made possible through the donation the ribbon by Deborah Page Wright, owner of the Blythe House in downtown Washington. Wright joined the group last year and donated boxes of ribbon used to raise money for the center because of a personal vested interest in cancer awareness — the loss of a loved one to cancer, she said.

Wednesday night at 5 p.m., county residents involved in the sale or creation of the bows will celebrate the success of the initiative at a bow party at Cypress Landing, according to Pam Shadle, manager of marketing, public relations and development at Vidant Beaufort Hospital.

And Thursday at 5 p.m., those interested in contributing to the campaign can still participate in the annual Hope and Heroes Walk, another component of the fundraiser. Registration is $20 per person and includes a reception with pizza and live music after the walk.

Shadle said the two clubs, as well as area residents and businesses that have contributed monetarily or volunteered their time, have been the lifeline of the campaign.

“What these two clubs are giving us is huge,” Shadle said. “Saturday is a busy day. They’re giving up a day of business. For the clubs and their membership to give up a day of business for (the center), especially on a Saturday, really speaks to their level of support. None if this would be possible had these two clubs not done this. There are so many people involved. You couldn’t do it without volunteers.”

The overall campaign has garnered $62,000 from donations, sponsorships, golf tournament registration, bow sales and more. The money raised through the initiative will fund complimentary therapies and educational programs at the center, as well as benefit survivors, patients and caregivers, according to Shadle.

For more information, call Cypress Landing Golf Club at 252-946-7788, Washington Yacht and Country Club at 252-946-3245 or Vidant Beaufort Hospital at 252-975-4134.